Oscar Countdown – The Best Films of 2009
Awards Daily has not yet provided a top ten list. We weren’t planning on it but at the urging of some of the readers (and Ryan), we decided to take a stab at it. I can’t promise to name only ten. You are invited to add your own. I also have to admit to not having seen some of the films this year, particularly the foreign films. But if I wait until I see everything I won’t get to a list until Summer.
These are the films I connected to most at this moment in time. I have found, though, that over the years the films I love from any given Oscar season can change. For instance, Sideways, which I never really cared for during its Oscar run, is now one of my all-time favorites.
Here are the films that really made an impact on me this year.
1. The Hurt Locker
Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal set out to tell a story that hasn’t yet been told about the toll the Iraq war has taken on soldiers on the ground. It wasn’t easy. They had every possible obstacle in their way – from raising funds, to a bungled release date, to the decision to cast it with actors who weren’t stars, to its being released into an atmosphere where no one was going to see “Iraq movies.” No one was going to see what they considered “more depressing news about the unwinnable war.” At some point, the news started to trickle out that The Hurt Locker wasn’t just your run-of-the-mill “depressing Iraq movie.” It was a cinematic masterpiece, exactly the right film for our time.
How it came to pass that no one went to see it is going to be the stuff of legends. Film professors will talk about how great the film was, how well it did despite how little money it made. Film executives will bring it up in meetings about whether or not to approve a project about the Iraq war, whether or not to “cast with unknowns” or whether or not to hire women directors. And little girls will see that women can direct war movies too.
The Hurt Locker brings us into the lives and stories of three bomb techs in Iraq. Their operation is to find Improvisational Explosive Devices wherever they might be hiding. Jeremy Renner is so enamored with the scrappy intelligence behind these things he collects the pieces of things that almost killed him. To him, it is almost a sexual thrill to uncover the snare of wires, tricks and traps to uncover the thing that is set in place to do nothing but kill Americans. We have been told we must hate the enemy but here, we are shown that the enemy is, in many cases, a lot smarter than we are and the only thing standing between more dead soldiers and a clever explosive trap is someone with an addiction to heroism. That addiction keeps him coming back for more. There is nothing more important to him than playing the deadly game of “find the IED.”
We also see the Renner character through the eyes of the other two leads, Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty. Each is dealing with fear every second of every day they are out in the field. The film’s intricate exploration of their experiences is what keeps us holding on to the film, even though there are long minutes with no dialogue at all, just the empty hiss of the desert and the occasional pop of ammunition, which then explodes into a display of rounds. Bigelow’s cameras lend an immediacy to the day’s events and every once in a while there is a breathtaking moment of artistry — Bigelow’s signature slow capture.
There isn’t another film about this ongoing, strangling war that brings you on the ground like this one does, and does it without the aid of melodrama, sappy music and a final license to kick ass. How easy it would be to call forth the gods of the planet to destroy the enemy. The trick here is figuring out who the enemy is. They don’t know anymore.
Not knowing who the enemy is is best illustrated in Jeremy Renner’s relationship with a young merchant who sells DVDs to soldiers. He develops an unlikely bond with the kid, knowing he has a son of his own waiting for him back home. When he thinks he finds the boy, transformed into a bloody body bomb, he finds that he has become way too invested emotionally. He loses it, roaming the very dangerous streets to avenge the boy’s death. When he then sees the boy alive and well and selling DVDs, something inside of him clicks. He won’t make that mistake again. Remember, the enemy is faceless.
The Hurt Locker rises above the rest because, though Americans would like to pretend otherwise, we are still very much in the thick of it. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan still inform many things, including Avatar, including The Messenger, even In the Loop. We are caught in a web of confusion still. We are fighting in a void, we are fighting a faceless enemy. It still rages on. Bigelow and Boal have made a film that will not only stand the test of time, but will be the one we look to when we reflect back on this ongoing, war-torn era. The artist is alive and well in Bigelow.
2. Avatar - Avatar is everything that the Hurt Locker isn’t. One film will have made the money of the year, perhaps of all time and the other the least. One film is a revenge-fantasy that makes us feel like we are kicking our own American asses off of Pandora because what we do to ourselves, to our planet, to other countries is to render them inhabitable, soulless, and dead. Avatar is thrilling to watch. Just like Jake Sully slips into his bed and leaves his earthly body behind, so do we transform when we slip on those dorky 3-D glasses and let Cameron’s vivid imagination take hold. It is a cinematic experience like no other. It is something that transcends even the definition of “film.” It isn’t really a film; it is a transformative experience. This film is bigger, even, than it started out being. It is similar to the Lord of the Rings series but is even more universal and accessible. With Avatar, Cameron has united a global audience under one message – we aren’t connected by many things, but we are connected by this crazy, balls-out fantasy epic.
Avatar takes on Iraq in a much more direct way than Bigelow’s film. It has the luxury of doing so, however, because money matters (especially to Fox) a hell of a lot more than politics. So while we have a few righties bemoaning things about Avatar, everyone cannot help but be dazzled by the cash. It is Capitalism as its finest and people are making a fortune, and will continue to make a fortune off of Avatar for decades to come. It is a revolution. Therefore, no one is going to balk at Cameron saying right up front that, when it comes to Iraq, when people are sitting on “shit we want” we make them the enemy. And if there is any theme in Avatar, that is it. We make them the enemy and we invade their land and we try to take what they have. Of course, in Avatar, fantasy comes full circle and the money-grubbers are booted out and spirituality reigns. Moreover, Jake gets to stay in the pretty world of Pandora as a a ten foot high Na’vi. And we as audience members have to walk outside and face our dying world. That means all we want to do is turn right back around and spend more money to spend more time on Pandora.
Cameron didn’t make Titanic for the money, and he didn’t make Avatar for the money. You don’t get projects like this off the ground if all you’re thinking about is profit. He set out to tell a story that was clearly close to his heart and had some deeper meaning beyond the razzle dazzle. For that reason, Avatar is anything but an empty experience. One can tell if a filmmaker is out for profit and when they’re out to fulfill a lifelong dream. Is it the most original story ever? No, but it feels authentic nonetheless. The performance capture feels real. The Na’vi becomes worthy of protection. Cameron’s films will always have dumb one-liners. That’s as much his trademark as anything else. But when he hits it out of the park like he has done with Avatar one can only regard him with awe.
3. Inglourious Basterds – this was an easy call. Quentin Tarantino has made the best film of his career. It’s better than Pulp Fiction, better than Kill Bill, better than Reservoir Dogs. It combines Tarantino’s knowledge of film history, as well as his refusal to obey the rules. He has always been a rule-breaker and somehow he does this without trivializing his subjects. Tarantino takes his time telling this story, which is one of the best things about it. The film is especially enjoyable the second time you see it. Once you give yourself over to the idea of this being revenge fantasy at its finest, one can experience a level of perverse pleasure throughout. There is tragedy here, too. The beauty dies. The love dies. The old world dies. What’s left are the scars. And the Basterds. The truth about this film is that no one else could have directed it but Quentin Tarantino, just like The Hurt Locker and Avatar. These three directors are at the top of their game.
4. The Road – This was another film no one saw. They didn’t see it because word got out that it was “too bleak” for the fantasy-loving, escapist, depression-soaked audiences. When looking at the best films of the year it shouldn’t necessarily be about the films that did well at the box office or in the awards race. The Road features, what I consider to be, the best male performance of the year in Viggo Mortensen. Mortensen reveals fear like no actor I’ve ever seen. But it isn’t just his gaunt, frightened face – it’s the love in his eyes, the tragedy that lays before them, the impossibility of his situation. He must be tough for his kid, ready to pull the trigger and kill them both. He must also make sure everything is okay, that they don’t let their humanity slip away.
5. A Single Man – I’m embarrassed that I’ve chosen three films from the Weinstein Co. for my top ten. It makes me look like a shill. But, as I said, awards season tends to round up a small group of films for Oscar consideration and it’s hard for any others to break through. It isn’t for me to see everything. But I know a great film when I see it and A Single Man is very easily one of the best the year had to offer. That is to say, it touched me deeply. Colin Firth plays a professor who has just lost someone more than just his “partner” or his “gay lover” — what they were to each other is so much more. And it is in those scenes between the two of them, told in flashback, that are the most moving. They are so lovely as to torture the viewer with their perfection. And such is the torment of mourning someone you loved so much.
Firth is much deserving of the praise that’s been heaped upon him for this performance – in fact, Firth is unrecognizable; he IS George Falconer. And what a great name, right? For someone who attracts wild things. “We are invisible,” is the phrase that threads through the film. When he finds out his lover has been killed he is told (by the voice of Jon Hamm) that the service is “only for family.” And thus begins his trek into the depths of despair, down into possible suicide and then back into the random joys of living.
Tom Ford is already a masterful film director – great visually, of course, but more than that he is good with actors, and that is probably one of the harder parts of directing. This film is a showcase for Firth, but all supporting players are wonderful. I particularly liked Matthew Goode as Jim.
6. In the Loop - a brilliant ensemble of actors with rapid-fire dialogue that is so layered it’s impossible to catch it all in one viewing. It takes a couple of them to get all of the jokes. There isn’t enough good comedy writing in American films because they are so dependent upon drawing the attention of 13 year-old boys – so you get a lot of “you’re gay” and fart jokes. How refreshing to see a film that is actually brilliant, along with being funny.
7. District 9 - What a great movie overall District 9 is, and what a wonderful surprise this year. District 9, like Avatar, deals with human/alien hybrids where our genes are blended allowing a human to transform and become superhuman. Both leads ultimately and completely transform at the end. We are greatly accepting of these aliens, in fact, we prefer them to ourselves. Sci-Fi is holding up quite an unattractive mirror.
8. The Lovely Bones – Strange, all over the place, but to me – absolutely authentic to the time period and the perspective of a young girl. The film was not well liked by many, but that’s because we’ve become conditioned to “serial killer movies,” which follow a fairly standard formula. This film would be wholly original. Of course, audiences always say they want original films but the don’t, really. They want things they recognize with small changes made to the convention. People were expecting Mystic River but they got something else entirely. It is still one of my favorite films of the year.
9. Bright Star – The Jane Campion film is an odd look at the love between Keats and Fannie Brawne. Both Ben Wishaw and Abbie Cornish are so good in their roles. The film stops short of being a bodice-ripper and that might be where it had its problems with audiences. Those formulas are in place for a reason – fanboys like to see skin, women like romance. But Campion decided to tell this story a different way, more truthful to the obscurity in the record on these two. The story is a heart-breaker, but it is all the more interesting because it’s really about the business of marriage and commerce. Both of them were stuck in a time that wasn’t ready for their kind.
10. An Education – While some have taken the odd stance of judging this film for being about “sex with a 16 year-old,” there is a reality to the past we cannot judge, I don’t think. Unless we’re going to start getting angry that the Virgin Mary was pregnant at what, 13? 14? The past is the past. The present is the present. We must be able to see things the way they were back then. There isn’t an untrue or inauthentic moment in the film. Everyone is called out for their own part in the way it played out. But lucky for Carey Mulligan’s character, she gets out before any real damage is done. And it teaches her valuable life lessons and informs who she will later become.
11. Invictus – I had to make room for a number 11 because Clint Eastwood’s film is s good, whether it has “buzz” or “heat” or not. That isn’t the point, ultimately, in choosing which films are “best.” All that means is that they are still in the game. And a game it is. There is nothing particularly real about how Oscar films are chosen – they are a product of time and place. Invictus will be around a lot longer than most of the films on this list.
One thing I’m noticing about my list, is that all but one of these films takes place in a different time period or an alternate universe. Odd, that.
Worth mentioning are Up in the Air and Precious, A Serious Man, Where the Wild Things Are, Invictus, Up, Crazy Heart, Coraline, the Julia parts of Julie & Julia would round out on my top twenty. Or twenty-one.
Rob Y says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 10:03pm
Watchmen (Not the best of the year, but my favorite)
And in no particular order:
Avatar
Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds
Up in the Air
Star Trek
District 9
The Blind Side
The Lovely Bones
Up
Afrika is back bishes says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 10:10pm
Precious is not in your top ten Sasha?????????
jlu says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 10:12pm
nice…
Sasha Stone says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 10:16pm
Top twenty, Afrika!!
Lance says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 10:19pm
“The Lovely Bones” lost me when the mother was so distraught she had to leave her family and become a fruit picker. I love how the Mark Walberg character figures it all out by just finally noticing the guy looks creepy – He didn’t look creepy three months earlier? How did no one notice the underground room when it was so out in the open?
When dealing with a drama, there is some sort of reality that must be there to keep the audience believing that this could really happen. There were too many things that just would have never happened in real life.
Christopher says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 10:21pm
1. Precious
2. The Hurt Locker
3. Avatar
4. Julie & Julia
5. Inglorius Bastards
6. Up in the Air
7. A Single Man
8. An Education
9. Bright Star
10. It’s Complicated
Dan says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 10:25pm
Same as they have been for since Avatar came out, but I repost them here anyway.
1. The White Ribbon
2. The Hurt Locker
3. A Serious Man
4. The Milk of Sorrow
5. Bright Star
6. Moon
7. Police, Adj.
8. The Road
9. Coraline
10. Avatar
the_movie_guy says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 10:26pm
The Top Ten Films of 2009…by: the_movie_guy
#10 District 9 – “District 9 is the most surprising film of the year. A raw, intelligent, fearless, and brilliantly entertaining amalgam of genres, ideas, and ideals. Neil Bloomkamp is a man to watch. An undeniable talent. Can’t wait to see his next film. Which will probably, knowing Hollywood, be a sequel to this.”
#9 Black Dynamite -”If you don’t fall in love with Black Dynamite after watching this brilliant homage to Blaxploitation, then you can just take your jive a[i]s[/I]s back to Stupidville.”
#8 Up “Poignant. Funny. And magical. Disney and Pixar are getting so good at this its beginning to be hard to impress at this point. I mean, Jesus, will they ever make a bad film?” My money’s on no. Probably not.”
#7 The Princess and The Frog “A classic throwback to when animation was hand drawn and delivered in a musical package for all ages. The Princess and the Frog is a magnificent entertainment. Joyous, bursting with energy, beauty, and class. Hopefully Disney’s first black princess won’t be their last. A timeless event film.”
#6 (500) Days of Summer – “There’s melancholy yet magnetic sadness racing through 500 Days of Summer from the very beginning. We’ve all had that one girl that we fell for that didn’t fall as hard for us and we never figured it out. That haunting feeling of “what if” has never been captured as poignant and effectively as it is here. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is sensational as a love-struck yuppie and Zooey Daschanel shines effortlessly as his quirky yet beautiful love-interest. Now if only someone would’ve told him just to listen to her and follow the signs and it may have saved him the heart ache but that’s love for ya’. It sticks it in and breaks it off. (500) Days is a beautifully written, directed, and acted sad yet lyrical cinema poem to unrequited love. A must see”
#5 Up in the Air – “George Clooney was born for roles like this. The suave, sophisticated, but mysterious “man in a tie” who can be funny and a prick at the same time while multi-tasking, getting the girls, and getting the job done better and more efficiently than everybody else. Picture Michael Clayton as a biting satire/tragicomedy romance. Toss in brilliant direction by growing sensation Jason Reitman and a story that mirrors the angst of today’s American worker. And you’ve got yourself a brilliant film and a surefire Best Picture contender. Bravo!”
#4 Precious – “Powerful. Utterly gut-wrenching. Who would’ve thunk Mo’Nique could be this magnetic and relentlessly brutal on film? This performance screams “give us a chance to shine, and dammit we will!”. She literally obliterates the screen in a show-stopping turn as the mother from Hell. Her final scene is heartbreaking and disgusting and she pulls it off magnificently. Not to be outdone, newcomer Gabby Sidibe is graceful and classy and one helluva actress as well. And Lee Daniels directs with passion and fire. Even more shocking though, Paula Patton and Mariah Carey are equally as good. Another testament to director Lee Daniels who deserves a nod come Oscar night.”
#3 Avatar – “Ho-ly ****! James Cameron’s Avatar is insane! Watching this film I see how kids must of felt watching Star Wars on screen in 1977. This film reminds us that “movie magic” still exists and its a mind-blowing, awe-inspiring, damn near religious thing to experience. The story is definitely a parable to today’s sociopolitical landscape and there is a superb anti-war and pro-Green message in the film. And also a few jabs at Western civilization and its inferiority to indigenous societies. But Zoe Saldana steals the show in a heart-warming, magnetic turn as Worthington’s alien love interest. I absolutely loved her and I loved the hell outta Avatar. Cameron is once again “King of the World”.
#2 The Hurt Locker – “Sorry, Jim. Your protege Katheryn Bigelow managed to upstage your 10-year labour of love with a shocking, suspenseful, and masterfully directed war classic that has sadly been completely ignored by American audiences. This is a magnificent film. Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie are sensational and BOTH deserve Oscar nods for their star turns.”
#1 Inglourious Basterds – “The power of cinema. This has been a year that reminds of the power of cinema with the release of Cameron’s Avatar. And by the time Tarantino’s brilliant homage to war films and spaghetti westerns’ film LITERALLY begins to burn down the house, one thing is certain. Quentin Tarantino is a friggin’ genius! And he knows that history and the history of cinema have a very, very, unique relationship. Can film change the world? Can cinema change the course of history? Ask yourself those questions then view Basterds for what it is, and that’s a flat-out masterpiece. The allegory playing out in the film is the work of a master and do not get it confused film fans. Tarantino is THE MASTER. He’s literally playing with the medium and seducing us to succumb to his delightful charms as a filmmaker with every scene. Brad Pitt shines in what I’m gonna jump out on a limb and say is the most underrated performance of the year. But reigning supreme is Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa of The SS. Wow. Has anyone ever been more chilling, frightening, and menacing in this many languages at once. Crown the man come Oscar night. Immediately. The most fun I had at the movies this year. And the year’s best film.”
Douglas says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 10:29pm
I like you list Sacha. I still get a bit perplexed by your love for The Lovely Bones. I liked some of it but the way it was edited together, felt like a mess. It’s still an interesting mess though. Happy to see your love for The Road though. Viggo deserves more praise for his brilliant performance.
My Top 10 of 2009:
1. The Road
2. Watchmen
3. Up
4. Inglourious Basterds
5. Sin Nombre
6. In The Loop
7. Up in the Air
8. A Serious Man
9. Where The Wild Things Are
10. District 9
*11. Moon
*Wanted to make a shout out for Moon which was pretty great and it’s anchored by an amazing performance by Sam Rockwell.
Afrika is back bishes says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 10:29pm
“the Julia parts of Julie & Julia” – sasha
LOL Sasha, my thoughts exactly.
With that said, I must confess that the rise of Sandra bullock, the massive success of Avatar, the snub of Precious and the HFPA shutting out The Hurt Locker has left me grossly disillusioned about the state of movies and the awards race. Reality came crashing down on me and I must finally come to terms with the fact that “the best” is/has never been recognized. Whatever happens at the damn Oscars (an the other awards show) happens. I don’t give a shit anymore. What’s the need of being fretful when the best work/performances have already been sidelined and snubbed?
Ethan G. says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 10:30pm
Great list, for sure. My top 10 at the moment are:
1. The Hurt Locker
2. A Serious Man
3. Where the Wild Things Are
4. Avatar
5. The Messenger
6. Sugar
7. Up in the Air
8. An Education
9. Bright Star
10. In the Loop
11. Inglourious Basterds (like Sasha, I have to make room for #11)
Of course, I have not yet seen A Single Man or The Lovely Bones, so those could definitely make an impact. Anyway, besides those films mentioned so far, I would also submit for consideration Moon, Broken Embraces and Adventureland, all of which would be somewhere in my top 20.
FrankieJ says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 10:30pm
Really terrific list, Sasha! So happy to see THE ROAD on there. I would add THE WHITE RIBBON…
Chris Price says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 10:30pm
1. A Prophet
2. Fantastic Mr. Fox
3. Up In The Air
4. The Brothers Bloom
5. A Serious Man
6. Up
7. The Hurt Locker
8. Inglourious Basterds
9. The White Ribbon
10. In The Loop
11. Anvil! The Story Of Anvil
12. Sugar
13. Black Dynamite
14. Precious
15. Adventureland
16. Drag Me To Hell
17. A Single Man
18. An Education
19. Ponyo
20. Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans
And normally I do a top 30 of the year (been doing that since ’06), so these would be the next ones:
21. District 9
22. Star Trek
23. The Messenger
24. Where The Wild Things Are
25. Funny People
26. Avatar
27. The Informant!
28. Moon
29. Whatever Works
30. Trucker
parker says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 10:35pm
An Education – While some have taken the odd stance of judging this film for being about “sex with a 16 year-old”
Didn’t she wait until she was 17?
passportradio says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 10:36pm
1. District 9
2. Inglorious Basterds
3. A Single Man
4. Broken Embraces
5. Fantastic Mr Fox
6. The White Ribbon
7. Adventureland
8. Avatar
9. Zombieland
10. Ponyo
@parker yeah, she waited.
Ryan B says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 10:37pm
1. The Hurt Locker
2. Up in the Air
3. Where the Wild Things Are
4. Up
5. Inglourious Basterds
6. The Fantastic Mr. Fox
7. An Education
8. District 9
9. A Serious Man
10. Big Fan
Bob says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 10:38pm
I haven’t seen Bright Star, The Road, Crazy Heart or most of the foreign films, but this is what mine looks like to this point:
1. Inglourious Basterds
2. Avatar
3. In the Loop
4. The Hurt Locker
5. Up in the Air
6. Precious
7. The Lovely Bones
8. The Blind Side
9. (500) Days of Summer
10. Where the Wild Things Are
qwiggles says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 10:39pm
1. Fish Tank
2. Where the Wild Things Are
3. Police, Adjective
4. Antichrist
5. Inglourious Basterds
6. Up in the Air
7. The Headless Woman
8. The Hurt Locker
9. The Beaches of Agnes
10. Avatar / Fantastic Mr. Fox (can’t/won’t choose)
Runners-up, alphabetically:
Adventureland, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, Bright Star, Broken Embraces, Goodbye Solo, Lorna’s Silence, Moon, The White Ribbon, A Serious Man, Tetro.
Worst of 2009:
Nine.
Antoinette says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 10:41pm
Here’s what I got: (shows you how much I agree with awards voters)
1. This is It
2. District 9
3. Bruno
4. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
5. Brothers
6. Watchmen
7. The Hurt Locker
8. Moon
9. The Men Who Stare at Goats
10. Fame
Afrika is back bishes says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 10:47pm
The best movie of 2009 is OBSESSED starring multiple grammy award winner/ satelite award nominee BEYONCE GISELLE CARTER KNOWLES.
“You touched my child? You think you’re crazy? I’ll show you crazy”
“You better do something about this woman or I will”
Best movies quotes of 2009. Someone please nominate OBSESSED for best screenplay at the Oscars. Also, a best actress nom. for Beyonce won’t be too shabby either. If Sandra Bullock is the front runner to win the Oscar then Beyonce is more than worthy of the award. In fact anyone is at this point. It’s an open door race.
Chris Price says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 10:48pm
The WORST movie I saw all year was a little known film called Royal Kill, but that can’t be the worst movie of the year because it played in literally 2 theaters in the world for about 10 days. One in California and one in Washington D.C. IMO, the Worst Movie of the Year has to be something that a lot of people were exposed to, or at least made aware of its existence. By those standards, The Worst Movie Of 2009 is a two-way tie between 2012 and Transformers 2. Dis-honorable Mentions are Amelia, Terminator 4, GI Joe, Street Fighter: The Legend Of Chun Li, Wolverine, Year One, Knowing, Halloween 2 and Jennifer’s Body.
lop says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 10:55pm
the lovely bones…is my favorite movie ever…lol.iam still pushing for saoirse to get an oscar nomination..lol.
it is also funny how many people like it too even thought they were saying it was a dud
lol
you got to love movies
Afrika is back bishes says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 10:57pm
Someone give Beyonce an Oscar for her tour-de-force performance in Obsessed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrgTWAilXHI&feature=related
OMG!!!!!!! EPIC!!!! She was TEN TIMES BETTER THAN SANDRA BULLOCK IN BLIND SIDE
j says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 11:03pm
Sasha: Oh, I thought Avatar would be ahead of Locker for you. And that Up would be nowhere near your list.
My top 10 would be topped by your nos. 5 & 9, and include your nos. 1 & 2, plus 4 of your runners-up. Now I’m curious about what you feel about Ponyo, since the other one left in my T10 I like more than I think it is good anyway.
Magically Delicious says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 11:09pm
It’s not cool these days to like Nine, but that was my favorite of the year, and I have a feeling I’m going to be defending myself all the way through March 7. It angered critics because it wasn’t 8 1/2, and it disappointed audiences because it isn’t plot-heavy or ambitious in scope. It’s an intimate character study about a confusing and conflicted person. Maybe it’s the director in me, but I was more moved by Nine than any other movie this year (although I don’t see how Marion Cotillard’s scenes don’t break the hardest of hearts). As much as I would love to try to make some objective analysis of the year in cinema, at the end of the day it’s simply about the movie I loved watching the most. And for me that’s Nine.
harry says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 11:21pm
Currently my Top 10 of 2009:
1. Antichrist
2. The Hurt Locker
3. Adventureland
4. Star Trek
5. In the Loop
6. Fantastic Mr. Fox
7. Up in the Air
8. Inglourious Basterds
9. Il Divo
10. Love Exposure
red_wine says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 11:26pm
Your list is pretty mainstream, but love the odd ball mention of In The Loop which is 1 of the best films of the year.
Some of the notable films of 2009 for me were(in no order since I’ve a lot to see, I’ll rank when I’ve sen everything of note. I still haven’t seen some biggies like The Headless Woman and 35 shots of rum), excluding the films you have mentioned
Summer Hours (there’s no escaping this film. See it once and it will haunt you for a long long time)
Two Lovers (masterfully directed melodrama with Phoenix’s best performance)
Police, Adjective (anchored by a brilliant screenplay, this is Romanian cinema at its finest)
Star Trek (a film of breath-taking speed and smarts, well made entertainment with a zipping cast and script)
The Hangover (no award was probably more deserved on Golden Globes night than this one)
Tetro (get over the naive script and you get masterful film-making and astute performances, but like I said said, you have to first get over the naive script. Rewarding either way)
Antichrist (if you get over the automatic scandalized reaction, there’s a good film in here which is truly terrifying and features a towering performance by Charlotte Gainsbourg)
Alan of Montreal says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 11:36pm
I agree with you about Matthew Goode, Sasha–I thought he was really solid in this film.
ajnrules says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 11:39pm
1. The Hurt Locker
2. Ponyo
3. Avatar
4. District 9
5. Fantastic Mr. Fox
6. Mary and Max
7. Coraline
8. The Princess and the Frog
9. Inglourious Basterds
10. Watchmen
Wow…very animation heavy, but then again 2009 was a strong year for animated films…
mileshigh says:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 11:52pm
1. Up in the Air
2. The Hurt Locker
3. Avatar
4. Up
5. Precious
6. In the Loop
7. Big Fan
8. Where The Wild Things Are
9. (tie)A Single/Serious Man
10. Crazy Heart
Honorable Mention:
Inglorious Basterds
Watchmen
Hangover
I Love You, Man
SinNombre
State of Play
Anvil
Away We Go
District9
Public Enemies
Food,Inc.
Fantastic Fox
Googooboo says:
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 12:22am
1. Avatar
2. District 9
3. The Hurt Locker
4. Up in the Air
5. Inglorious Basterds
6. Invictus
7. Up
8. (500) Days of Summer
9. Where the Wild Things Are
10. The Lovely Bones
Mike Meyers says:
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 12:26am
Top 30 from 2009 (I STILL haven’t seen Inglorious Basterds)
1. Avatar
2. Up in the Air
3. The Blind Side
4. The Hurt Locker
5. Watchmen
6. Zombieland
7. 500 Days of Summer
8. Invictus
9. District 9
10. Taken
11. Up
12. Fantastic Mr. Fox
13. The Hangover
14. The Proposal
15. Brothers
16. The Road
17. An Education
18. Sugar
19. I Love You Man
20. The Messenger
21. Knowing
22. Precious
23. Star Trek
24. Public Enemies
25. A Perfect Getaway
26. A Prophet
27. A Christmas Carol
28. Paranormal Activity
29. Antichrist
30. Adam
Me says:
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 12:34am
The Hurt Locker, most overrated, inexplicable critical darling of 2009. Listen, it’s not a bad movie, but it lacks any sort of magic that makes for a *great* movie, and it falls apart well before the final act. Even military personnel have come out to state what a ludicrous idea the film is and how it misrepresents them, but it falls on deaf ears as people heap praise on Bigelow for no apparent reason other than the fact that she is herself. It’s Slumdog all over again, only this time the film is even *less* entertaining.
tony rock says:
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 12:35am
1. Up in the Air
2. Inglourious Basterds
3. District 9
4. The Hurt Locker
5. Star Trek
6. 500 Days of Summer
7. Avatar
8. Up
9. A Serious Man
10. Moon
11. Ponyo
12. Harry Potter VI
Seen 55 films from this year so far. Have yet to see The Road, Lovely Bones, or The Messenger.
Matt M says:
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 12:43am
1. Inglourious Basterds
2. A Serious Man
3. Up in the Air
4. (500) Days of Summer
5. Up
6. In the Loop
7. Fantastic Mr. Fox
8. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call: New Orleans
9. The Hurt Locker
10. Star Trek/ District 9
Cahiers says:
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 1:10am
This list will perhaps not quite gel with Oscar-type fair, but it’s my honest list.
I would have The White Ribbon in there somewhere near the front half if I’d seen it before I made the list, but alas I did not.
1. Where the Wild Things Are
2. Fantastic Mr. Fox (Sasha’s fav!)
3. A Serious Man
4. La Belle Personne
5. Inglourious Basterds
6. The Girlfriend Experience
7. The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
8. Tetro
9. Bright Star
10. The Informant!
I made a top twenty-five this year (locked in graphics no less!) and then ranked about another three dozen, so if you’d like to see those I’ll save the space here and point you to my weblog.
http://tinsleyfilm.blogspot.com/2009/12/best-films-of-2009.html
DBibby (Dion Blackler) says:
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 1:20am
While I don’t share your love of your top three films of the year, Sasha, I’m overjoyed to see you put A Single Man at #5. For me it’s the only truly great film I’ve seen all year.
1. A Single Man
2. Anvil: The Story of Anvil
3. The White Ribbon
4. Where the Wild Things Are
5. Sugar
6. Bright Star
7. Broken Embraces
8. Up in the Air
9. Up
10. Dean Spanley
Sarah El says:
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 1:22am
I missed a lot of movies and will probably fix that in the coming months/years, but of what I saw:
1 – Up
2 – The Hurt Locker
3 – District 9
4 – The Damned United
5 – Star Trek
6 – Avatar
7 – Inglourious Basterds
8 – A Serious Man
9 – Up in the Air
10 – Bright Star
http://sarahelmovies.blogspot.com/2010/01/top-16-of-2009-well-in-my-opinion.html
Sam says:
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 1:34am
So this is my first time posting on here and I don’t want to get killed but… can someone please explain why Avatar is a good movie to me? Whether or not I have good taste in movies, my taste usually aligns with those of critics. However, I thought Avatar was a mediocre film at best, supported entirely by its visual achievements (which were incredible). The dialogue and acting (perhaps because of the dialogue) were so bad and corny, it was impossible to take the film seriously. At the same time In The Loop, I think one of the funniest/smartest movies of all time, has been completely ignored. Is it just me, am I a crazy person?! Can someone please explain what I am missing here?
Andrew2 says:
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 1:36am
Sasha so great to see Bright Star in your top 10 , and in a number of readers lists. It really deserves to be in Oscars’ top 10.
My top 10
1. Bright Star
2. Hurt Locker
3. Inglorious Basterds
4. A Single Man
5. Up in the Air
6. An Education
7, Precious
8. Up
9. Avatar
10. Mary and Max
Matthias Zucker says:
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 1:49am
I’m still watching 2009 films, so this list may change some over the coming weeks, but right now the tally would be:
1. Avatar
2. Star Trek
3. Up in the Air
4. Inglourious Basterds
5. The Princess and the Frog
6. Precious
7. Fantastic Mr. Fox
8. Moon
9. (500) Days of Summer
10. District 9
Very sci-fi-heavy, but indeed what a great year for the genre, which I’ve always loved.
dane says:
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 1:54am
great list, my top films for 2009
1. Inglourious Basterds
2. Avatar
3. The Hurt Locker
4. Up
5. Fantastic Mr. Fox
6. The Boys are back
7. An Education
8. Two Lovers
9. Bad Lt.
10. Public Enemies
PG says:
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 2:08am
I’m surprised there is no hype about Hurricane Season. It’s a really great flick, and one of Whittaker’s best roles. Black Dynamite and Dean Spanley were very enjoyable for me. Avatar just didn’t do it for me. And I really don’t know why Inglourious Basterds and The Road are so hyped up.
1. Up
2. Moon
3. Up in the Air
4. Hurt Locker
5. Hurricane Season
6. District 9
7. A Serious Man
8. In The Loop
9. Dean Spanley
10.Black Dynamite
mikey says:
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 2:13am
top 10 films of 2009
1. inglourious basterds
2. avatar
3. up
4. the hurt locker
5. fantastic mr fox
6. star trek
7. 500 days of summer
8. bright star
9. two lovers
10. the watchmen
Duke says:
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 2:18am
That´s a great top10 list, loved to see Basterds in a high position. But Sasha, you have to stop all that love towards The Hurt Locker, it´s getting boring. It´s a great movie, but not THAT great. It´s very well realized but it´s not that remarkable.
Inglourious Basterds is the best film of the year, and one of the best of the decade.
But again, that´s a great list. I´m glad A Single Man and The Lovely Bones are in.
Jesus Alonso says:
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 2:52am
a provisional top 10 as there are some films (A Serious Man, A Single Man, Precious, Up in the Air, The Lovely Bones) I haven’t seen yet.
It’s a bit tricky ’cause my #1 film is a 2008 spanish movie that STILL hasn’t opened in the States, it seems, and has scored really few and really bad reviews: Camino, by Javier Fesser. It’s one of a kind film and a true masterpiece, in my opinion, that flies, literally over anything that 2009 has produced, including my top 10. The guy is the best and most creative spanish (and european director, probably) since Luis Buñuel. So, taking it “apart” from the list…
1. In the Loop (best satire since Dr. Strangelove)
2. Up (best Pixar)
3. Il Divo
4. Inglorious Basterds (I disagree labelling it “better than Pulp Fiction”)
5. Avatar
6. The Hurt Locker
7. Paranormal Activity
8. Star Trek
9. Sherlock Holmes
10. Broken Embraces
Honorable Mentions: District 9, Watchmen, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Trick ‘r Treat, Where the Wild Things Are, Knowing.
henry says:
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 3:16am
my best films for 2009
1. inglourious basterds
2. avatar
3. up
4. fantastic mr fox
5. star trek
6. moon
7. dist. 9
8. coraline
9. public enemies
10. the watchmen
Sally in Chicago says:
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 3:20am
Jeff Wells is reporting that the Academy members are having a hard time choosing 10. They can choose 5 or 6, but coming up with 10 is a trial. This was bound to happen.
For me the movies that left an after thought not in this order:
1. PE
2. This is It
3. Blind side
4. Star Trek
5. 500 Days
And that’s about it.
The acting was superb this year, but I cannot say that much about the scripts.
Jeremie says:
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 4:55am
My Top 10
1 – Inglorious Basterds
2 – A Prophet
3 – Two Lovers
4 – A Serious Man
5 – Moon
6 – Fish Tank
7 – The White Ribbon
8 – Up
9 – Bright Star
10 – Of Time And The City – Thirst
Jeremie says:
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 5:05am
And I guess I didn’t have anything better to do this morning, but here is the AD readers Top 30 so far :
1 – The Hurt Locker (163)
2 – Inglorious Basterds (160)
3 – Avatar (128)
4 – Up in the Air (123)
5 – Up (104)
6 – District 9 (71)
7 – A Serious Man (63)
8 – Fantastic Mr. Fox (62)
9 – Where The Wild Things Are (51)
10 – Star Trek (51)
11 – In The Loop (44)
12 – (500) Days of Summer (38)
13 – Precious (37)
14 – Bright Star (33)
15 – Moon (32)
16 – A Single Man (31)
17 – The White Ribbon (29)
18 – Watchmen (24)
19 – The Blind Side (20)
20 – An Education (19)
21 – This is It (19)
22 – A Prophet (19)
23 – Antichrist (17)
24 – Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (16)
25 – Fish Tank (15)
26 – The Road (13)
27 – The Princess and The Frog (13)
28 – Public Enemies (13)
29 – Two Lovers (13)
30 – Police, Adj. (12)